questioning the light

Everything was a mess, one that kept on becoming bigger and bigger. It was bad enough when he was the only one stuck in it, but then Lányù awakened an affinity. Míngzé had trouble getting his mind around it, but there was no way of ignoring it. It was fair to say that all the extra stress was piling up and that it made sleeping fairly impossible. He had too much on his mind, which was why he closed the door behind him and went downstairs. There were the silent whispers of other people living here that fell quiet when they saw him approaching. Ignoring them was the safest thing to do, although he could not shake the uncomfortable feeling. Normally he had Qiān at his side, now it was only that stupid cane. That would not help him in the slightest.

Míngzé was glad when he finally left those people behind and continued his way downstairs. With each step, it felt more and more like he was walking towards something. As if there was a soft pull on him. A weird sensation since he had no destination in mind.

It all happened so fast after. Unknowingly he barely bumped into it, but it sent a spark through him. A cold feeling settled in his stomach. Not the kind of cold like snow or ice. No, it was something far deeper. There was no warmth in any way, there was only the cold empty feeling of nothingness. A shiver ran all the way through him and there was that soft pull again.

His body moved almost on its own when he turned around and reached for this person, grabbing whatever he could.

Míngzé did not know what drove him forward and what made him go for that person. There was just something— something intangible and impossible to ignore. The first slap against his hand pulled him out of whatever went on in his head. Immediately he took a step back. “I’m—” sorry. The words never fully left his mouth.

His eyes went wide as he saw nothing more than a shadow moving forward and grabbing him by the collar. Next thing he knew he felt his back collide with the dirty wall, forcing the air out of his lungs. Fear settled in his bones and momentarily it made him unable to move.

The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but he could not connect it to a face. He hissed as he was forcefully pushed against the wall once more. “Get the fuck off me,” Míngzé hissed with a hint of fear. He used both hands to push the other against his chest with all the strength he could muster, all in an attempt to get him away from him. If one push was not enough, he would just try again. He never had to fight before, but in this moment his body was urging him to do something. Anything.

It worked!

The pressure near his neck disappeared as the man retreated. Míngzé placed a hand against the wall, not trusting his shaking legs. No, it was not only his legs that were shaking, his whole body was trembling because of the adrenaline spike. His cane was no longer in his hand as he probably dropped it once the other attacked. But that was it.

In the end it was nothing. He was fine, there was only still that cold empty feeling that did not want to go away. It had spiked before and was now less, yet did not fully disappear. Míngzé took a staggering breath, trying to calm himself.

The moment the other spoke again, Míngzé was on edge again ready for whatever might come. “You don’t ha— wait.” A deep frown formed on his forehead. “Sāng?” No, that could not be. Why would he be here? But that had been Sāng’s voice, beneath all the pain. Míngzé took a few steps towards him and with each step, that feeling got worse again. Fear found a way to his expression. “Wa— what happened?” he blurred out. He almost did not want to come closer, and not because of Sāng’s earlier behavior, but because something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Desperately he tried to see what was going on, but it was futile. Silently he cursed himself, hating the fact that there was nothing he could do.

Something was terribly wrong with Sāng. This whole thing was proof of it. It had sounded like the other had been in pain, but from what? A simple touch had nearly caused a fight, and his push had downed the man instantly. That was not normal.

While Míngzé did not know him that well, he knew him well enough to know he was acting strange. Telling him to fuck off while he had been the one to ignore those very requests before. “No,” he said instantly, one hand clenched to a fist. It did not matter that he now knew who this was, his reaction just now had left an impression and he could not say that he trusted Sāng at all in that moment. But that did not stop him.

Vaguely he saw the other walking away until that shadow became one with its surroundings. WIth the wall next to him as his guide, Míngzé followed him, knowing fully well that once Sāng makes it up the stairs, he would not be able to keep up. “Please Sāng, I didn't mean to hurt you,” he yelled after him not even knowing if his words would reach the man. “Just tell me if you’re alright?” Not that it mattered, he already knew the other was not alright in the slightest.

“And I said I’m sorry. But there—” the soft voice of a third presence silenced him instantly. He knew the other had a pokémon, a Mawile but until now he did not have the chance of meeting him. All he knew was what Sāng had told him. Míngzé even took a step back, letting his shoulders hang.

He could hear him take the steps upstairs until those also disappeared. And Sāng was gone.

“Fuck.”

With a flat hand, he hit the wall. He was worried for Sāng for more than one reason and it had only increased. Besides the cries of pain, the tone of his voice and the bandages, there was nothing. Míngzé was left grasping at straws.

He rubbed his eyes before heading back. There was no use in staying here any longer. Once he got that bloody cane back he could just do what he’d been planning on doing in the first place. Go outside. His mind was now definitely too occupied to spleen anyway. Why was Sāng even here in the first place? Was someone else he knew living here?

Míngzé let out a frustrated groan as he picked up the pace. Just what was happening?